The cause of a fire in which a Rhyl businessman died is to remain a mystery.

But the answer may lie in the fact that the victim, Barrie Newton, had been suffering from dizzy turns for a few months prior to the tragedy on December 23 last year.

At an inquest in Ruthin John Gittins, the coroner for North Wales East and Central, recorded a conclusion of accidental death on the 71-year-old whose body was found in the remains of his premises, Lightworks, in Vale Road, Rhyl.

Bob Mason, a station manager and fire investigator for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said that when crews arrived at the premises at about 5pm the fire was already well developed and involved the whole building.

The blaze was so intense that it buckled steel girders and firefighters were unable to enter the building for about two hours.

Such a delay was very unusual, said Mr Mason, and the damage was so severe that it was impossible to determine how the fire started.

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The blaze had apparently started close to the rear door and swept through the building and then returned through the building once the front door was opened. Mr Newton’s body was found about three metres from the rear door, his feet still on a plastic box.

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Mr Newton was a heavy smoker but according to Mr Heyward always went outside the shop to light up.

Andrew Taylor, who worked for Mr Newton repairing electrical equipment, said, however, that there had previously been small fires caused by cigarette butts and that the premises were cluttered.

Mr Mason told the inquest that in view of Mr Newton’s medical history and the position in which he was found he could well have had a dizzy spell while standing on the box and perhaps knocked something over.

“It is speculation but there is an above-average chance that the cause of the fire was linked to a fall of some kind,” he said.